Gyms all across the U.S. have closed, with good reason. This is taking a toll on both the gym employee and the gym rat. Personal trainers are starting to venture in the the realm of online personal training, and the gym goer is learning how to workout at home. Home gyms are going to become a thing after this all blows over. You have many choices on what equipment you can get for a home gym.
I have my own personal gym and I want to share what I currently have. I am also going to tell you if it is worth what you spend on it. This way when if comes to building a home gym you will have an idea of what to get and what to avoid.
Barbell and weights
I have a typical 45 lbs olympic style bar with 300 lbs of weight. It is nothing fancy, however it does get the job done. I also have chains for added weight. I made a fat grip bar out of a 2 inch piece of pipe that I bought from a hardware store.
Verdict
A barbell is a great piece of equipment. I am a firm believer that if you want to get strong you need to lift barbells. I got off lucky and found mine for very cheep. Yes a barbell is something that you may want in your home gym. However if you cannot find it on sale or cheep on craigslist I would not bother. A scale of 1-10, this is a 5, I could live with or without it.
Sandbag system
I have a Brute Force athlete bag. It has 4 different sets of handles on it. It has 2 separate filler bags and can be filled with up to 70 lbs of sand. The weight is constantly shifting and can be very difficult to lift.
Verdict
I cannot and will not ever have a home gym without a sandbag ever again. This bag is by far my favorite piece of equipment. This bag is a home gym by itself. It can go anywhere and at $120 it was well worth the investment. Even though 70lbs of weight it does not sound very heavy. With the sand constantly shifting, this thing is a beast. A sandbag like this one should be the first thing anyone buys for their home gym. A scale of 1-10, this is an 11, please sir may I have another.
Kettlebells
I have 4 kettlebells, a 12kg, 16kg, 20kg, and a 24kg. If you know how to use a kettlebell, they are a great tool. They are heavy, and you can get an awesome conditioning workout with them. Best part is you don't need much room to use them.
Verdict
Unfortunately kettlebells tend to be the first thing people buy for their home gym. I would like to say again, if you know how to use a kettlebell, they are a great tool. Most people don't know how to use them properly. They are very expensive, and they come in odd weights. These things will get you hurt unless you know what to do. If you want kettlebells for your home gym, spend the money and have someone teach you how to use them. A scale of 1-10, 8 if you know what your doing, 1 if you don't know, buy dumbbells.
Suspension Trainer
I have 2 suspension trainers a Jungle Gym XT and a regular Jungle Gym. These things can pack up and go literally anywhere. They hook to your ceiling or door and you can do almost any exercise you want.
Verdict
More people need to have a suspension trainer. I went with the Jungle Gyms because they are just as good and half the price of a TRX. I don't use it as much as I wish I did. I just don't use suspension trainers as much as I used to. A scale of 1-10, 7 I like having it when I want to use it.
Aside from some home made stuff that is everything I have in my home gym. I hope this helps you figure some things out when it comes to building out a home gym.